Mr. Buckley talked about his new book, “Wry Martinis,” published by Random House. It is a collection of essays on various topics previously published in the New Yorker and elsewhere. Mr. Buckley also discussed his writing career, which included two years as a speechwriter for President George H. W. Bush. (timspalding)

But enough about youChristopher Buckley “One of the funniest writers in the English language” according to Tom Wolfe, Christopher Buckley is the author of 15 books, including Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Supreme Courtship. The recipient of the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence and the Thurber Prize for American Humor, Buckley served as chief speechwriter to Vice President George H.W. Bush, and the American political machine is the primary target of his satire. As Janet Maslin wrote in one New York Times review, “By now, just about every species of political huckster has been treated to Mr. Buckley’s style of prescient ridicule, yet political life ceaselessly tosses him bait.” In his new essay collection, Buckley tackles a wide range of subjects with distinctive wit and insight. Parkway Central Library 1901 Vine Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (between 19th and 20th Streets on the Parkway) This is a FREE event; no tickets or reservations are required. For more information, please call 215-567-4341, or click here

Christopher Buckley was born in New York City in 1952. He was educated at Portsmouth Abbey, worked on a Norwegian tramp freighter and graduated cum laude from Yale. At age 24 he was managing editor of Esquire magazine; at 29, chief speechwriter to the Vice President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. He was the founding editor of Forbes FYI magazine (now ForbesLife), where he is now editor-at-large.

He is the author of fifteen books, which have translated into sixteen languages. They include: Steaming To Bamboola, The White House Mess, Wet Work, God Is My Broker, Little Green Men, No Way To Treat a First Lady, Florence of Arabia, Boomsday, Supreme Courtship, Losing Mum And Pup: A Memoir and Thank You For Smoking, which was made into a movie in 2005. Most have been named New York Times Notable Books of the Year.

He has written for The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Time, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, National Geographic, New York Magazine, The Washington Monthly, Forbes, Esquire, Vogue, Daily Beast and other publications.

He received the Washington Irving Prize for Literary Excellence and the Thurber Prize for American Humor.

In an attempt to gain congressional approval for a top-secret weapons system, Washington lobbyist "Bird" McIntyre teams up with sexy, outspoken neocon Angel Templeton to pit the American public against the Chinese. When Bird fails to uncover an authentic reason to slander the nation, he and Angel put the Washington media machine to work, spreading a rumor that the Chinese secret service is working to assassinate the Dalai Lama. Meanwhile in China, mild-mannered President Fa Mengyao and his devoted aide Gang are maneuvering desperately against sinister party hard-liners Minister Lo and General Han. Now Fa and Gang must convince the world that the People's Republic is not out to kill the Dalai Lama, while maintaining Fa's small margin of power in the increasingly militaristic environment of the party. On the home front, Bird must contend with a high-strung wife who entertains Olympic equestrian ambition, and the qualifying competition happens to be taking place in China. As things unravel abroad, Bird and Angel's lie comes dangerously close to reality. And as their relationship rises to a new level, so do mounting tensions between the United States and China (jpmoore)… (more)

Hysterical, irreverent. Only Christopher Buckley can make American-China relations this much fun!

In an attempt to gain congressional approval for a top-secret weapons system, Washington lobbyist "Bird" McIntyre teams up with sexy, outspoken neocon Angel Templeton to pit the American public against the Chinese. When Bird fails to uncover an authentic reason to slander the nation, he and Angel put the Washington media machine to work, spreading a rumor that the Chinese secret service is working to assassinate the Dalai Lama.

Meanwhile in China, mild-mannered President Fa Mengyao and his devoted aide Gang are maneuvering desperately against sinister party hard-liners Minister Lo and General Han. Now Fa and Gang must convince the world that the People's Republic is not out to kill the Dalai Lama, while maintaining Fa's small margin of power in the increasingly militaristic environment of the party.

On the home front, Bird must contend with a high-strung wife who entertains Olympic equestrian ambition, and the qualifying competition happens to be taking place in China. As things unravel abroad, Bird and Angel's lie comes dangerously close to reality. And as their relationship rises to a new level, so do mounting tensions between the United States and China.

Award-winning satirist Christopher Buckley offers consolation, wit, and warmth to those coping with the death of a loved-one, while telling a personal story of life with legends. In conversation with John Tierney from The New York Times. The event is FREE and open to the public. For updates and additional information, please visit the website at www.bryantpark.org. The Bryant Park Reading Room located on the 42nd Street side of the park - under the trees - between the back of the NYPL & 6th Avenue. Look for the burgundy and white umbrellas. Rain Venue: Library of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen 20 West 44th Street (between 5th & 6th Avenue). (wforw2008)… (more)

A second consecutive evening of authors working with smart humor, and some occasional satire, is in-store—this time at Seattle Central Library—as Christopher Buckley makes this welcome appearance for his newest novel, Supreme Courtship (Twelve). A president and Congress at odds with Supreme Court nominations: sound familiar? Wait to see what happens here ... (Yes, this is a novel, but ...) (KingRat)… (more)

This year's lunch will, once again, focus on political and social issues and will feature Richard Engel, author of War Journal (Simon&Schuster), Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, author of Taking on the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era (Celebra), Jon Krakauer, author of The Hero (Doubleday), and Michael Moore, author of an as yet untitled work (Grand Central). Christopher Buckley, author of Supreme Courtship: A Novel (Twelve) will be the Master of Ceremonies. (ablachly)… (more)